Earlier this month, she attended the National HBCU Braintrust in Washington, D.C., meeting with companies to express the importance of diversity and how historically black colleges and universities can bridge the gap.

“As HBCU presidents, we continue to applaud the visionary leadership of Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, of North Carolina, and the members of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus for creating a platform that allows me and my colleagues the opportunity to network with corporate leaders,” said Dr. Glover, who moderated a panel with chief diversity officers from top corporations, including Amazon, Pinterest, GM Financial and Dell.

“All are fully committed to strengthening relationships between HBCUs and their companies. This is an enormous victory for our students, who are some of the best and brightest in the country.”

TSU President Glenda Glover with top diversity and inclusion executives at the HBCU Braintrust Town Hall: “The Power of Black Women: Reshaping, Redefining & Diversifying America’s Workforce.” President Glover served as moderator for discussion on the important role HBCUs play in building the workforce. (Submitted photo)

Last year, the Caucus issued the HBCU Partnership Challenge, an effort to promote corporate engagement with HBCUs and the students they serve. Following the challenge, the Caucus conducted a survey to assess current HBCU engagement with corporations. The group then worked with industries to determine how to best recruit and retain diverse talent.

The goal was to identify 10 corporate partners within the first year. Amazon, AnitaB.Org, Dell, Inc., GM Financial, Nielsen, Pandora, Regions Bank, and Volvo Group North America are additional partners that have helped the Caucus exceed its goal.

“Regions Bank is the epitome of a good corporate partner and does an outstanding job of integrating TSU students into various levels of the company,” added Dr. Glover.

The National HBCU Braintrust, Sept. 12-14, included corporate giving, STEM innovation, and scholarships. The Bipartisan HBCU Caucus was founded by Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D during the 114th Congress. The Caucus is comprised of 74 members from both chambers and both sides of the aisle.

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.